'Too soon to relax', says Trescothick

Marcus Trescothick and Andrew Strauss cemented their names in the
record-books with an opening stand of 273, to swing a topsy-turvy match
back in England's favour on the third day at Kingsmead. And at the close,
Trescothick, who eventually fell for 132, was a contented man.

"That was a fantastic day," said Trescothick, "but we can't get too happy
or relaxed just yet. We've got two huge days ahead of us, and tomorrow's
first session will be crucial and will probably dictate the way this game
is going. They are going to be two big days of Test cricket."

Although England have encountered some difficulties while going for their
shots so far on this tour, Trescothick and Strauss had no qualms about
taking the attack to South Africa today, and the approach paid dividends.
"The wicket was pretty good," said Trescothick. "We're both positive
players and we made the most of our opportunities. The pace was different
today. It didn't zip off the pitch so much, although it still does a bit
with the new ball when the seam's hard. If we get through that period
tomorrow, we need to make the most of it."

In the course of their innings, Trescothick and Strauss passed 1000 runs
as an opening partnership, and Strauss himself is just 33 runs away from
reaching 1000 individual runs. "Watching from the other end, he makes it
look pretty easy," admitted Trescothick. "People keep bumping him,
throwing everything at him, but it doesn't really faze him too much.

"We communicate well," added Trescothick. "We talk a lot, and it doesn't
always have to be about the cricket - it could be someone walking past, or
a song someone's singing. We don't have to focus all the time, but just
relax and enjoy what's going on. Of course, it depends on getting to know
your team-mates and how they respond," he added. "Nasser never said a word
when he came to the wicket, but Straussy and I have a joke and relax each
other.

And Trescothick admitted that Strauss's unflappable temperament has helped
his own game as well. "Of course it does," he said. "If you're playing
with someone who's a nervous wreck, it's bound to affect the way you play.
But he's full of confidence and taking it all in his stride. And he's been
like that all through his career. He's calm, and it's helped him do so
well so quickly."

Trescothick added that Strauss's personality was precisely what the
England team needed. "He's an easy guy to fit in, and he's perfect for
what we need at the moment. His attitude is spot on, he works hard and he
knows what he wants. As a partnership, we've got on well since he came
into the team, and since we know we are going in together every time, we
might as well enjoy it."

For Trescothick, today's century was an important landmark, as he has
attracted
criticism for his inability to replicate his home form on overseas trips.
"This is a huge step forward for me," he admitted. "I've not necessarily
found the answer, but today, mentally, it was a big step in the right
direction.

"And just to be involved today was a high," he added. "It's a nice feeling
to fight back from a difficult period where we didn't bat or bowl
particularly well. But it showed the character of the team, which is
something we've worked on all year. We never give up, and we keep fighting
and improving."

As for England's situation, Trescothick refused to get carried away by one
good day's batting. "A lead of 550 would be nice," he joked. "But we can't
get too far ahead, as tomorrow's a huge morning. We need to get
partnerships going, and the scoring-rate going, and set our totals."

Andrew Miller is assistant editor of Cricinfo. He will be following the England team throughout the Test series in South Africa.